A Canadian influencer has noticed a very particular phrase that all Australians say and it’s one he can’t seem to understand.
Josiah Hein, who is currently travelling around Australia and sharing the strange differences between Down Under and his native Canada.
On TikTok, where he has 88,000 followers, Josiah shared a short clip that appeared to have been filmed at a Costco.
The affable influencer revealed he was surprised by how Australians frequently use the word ‘keen’ to convey enthusiasm or excitement.
“In Australia, they say ‘keen’ instead of ‘down’ or ‘I’m keen’ instead of ‘I’m down,'” Josiah said in the clip.
‘So if you ask them, “Dude, do you want to go to the movies?” they’ll text you, “you wanna go.” Everyone I know would say, “you wanna go,” or “I’m up for it bro, count me in,” but here it’s just like, “you wanna go.”
Josiah was also at a loss for words when explaining the elongated version of the Australian slang term.
“Sometimes Australians say, ‘I’m so excited, bro,'” he said with a wry, questioning smile.
Canadian TikToker Josiah Hein revealed he was surprised by how often Australians use the word “keen” to express enthusiasm or excitement.
Josiah’s antipodean followers were quick to educate him about local linguistics.
“Because ‘keen’ is an actual word in the dictionary that means anxious. You say ‘I agree’ in slang,” one follower wrote.
Others were quick to point out that the term “keen as mustard” is derived from the beloved Keens mustard powder, which has long been a staple in the Australian pantry.
However, one fan suggested that the slang was not of Australian origin at all, but was found in American TV shows such as The Brady Bunch.
“I’m pretty sure this is from American TV in the 1950s and 1960s,” they said. “I’m so excited, Marcia, Marcia, Marcia.”
Josiah was also stumped when trying to explain the elongated version: as sharp as mustard.
However, one pedantic fan saw more nuance in the discussion and argued that enthusiastic does not necessarily mean depressed.
‘Keen is eager, but doesn’t have a definitive ‘yes,’ they wrote.
Josiah managed to provoke many Australians in 2023 by mispronouncing the names of the Australian cities Melbourne and Canberra in a video that “sparked anger”.
Upon arriving in the Australian Capital Territory, Josiah referred to the acronym as “act” rather than ACT and went on to claim that it was “confusing” that a city “nobody has heard of” is Australia’s capital.
He also mispronounced Melbourne as “Mell-born” instead of “Mel-bin” and Canberra as “Cane-berr-ah” instead of “Can-brah”.
Josiah’s antipodean followers were quick to educate him about local linguistics.